


I Know You Want Me, Let's Start Talking

by angel_taehyung



Series: It's Not Working, So Stop Fronting [1]
Category: GOT7
Genre: "A" teasers, Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Jackson and Yugyeom are roommates, M/M, Mark and Youngjae casually share Coco, Multi, Pining, Polyamory, Swearing, lots of gay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-22
Updated: 2016-12-06
Packaged: 2018-05-28 10:03:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6324760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angel_taehyung/pseuds/angel_taehyung
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"A~, I already know everything so why are you hiding? It’s written all over your face that you like me."</p><p>Everyone in Got7 is much better at flirting than admitting their own feelings.</p><p>(Based on the "A" teasers)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Story 1: JB

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (9/26)  
> Edited~ I had a friend look over it for me so it's now been touched up a little

A basketball court wasn't necessarily known to be the greatest place to spend your free time, especially if you have no intention of actually using it. Jinyoung, however, had found it to be quite suitable when the weather was nice. He personally wasn't much of one to play, but few enough people actually used it that he declared it his go-to spot for some peace when he didn't want to be stuck in his apartment any longer.

With the sun shining down from the clear blue sky, Jinyoung sat on a bench at the side of the court with a new book, taken by the words as usual. He'd gotten deep into it, drowning out the faint noises around him to focus solely on the story in his hands. Most days he would lose himself like this only to look up to find that hours had passed without his notice. He was certain this time would be no different, but it seemed he had only just gotten into his headspace when he was broken out of it.

The loud noise of a ball hitting the backboard followed by a triumphant cheer grabbed his attention quite rudely. Jinyoung was quick to raise his eyes and fix a glare upon the person who disturbed him.

On the usually empty court stood a tall boy, broad shoulders catching Jinyoung’s eyes first as his retreating back faced him. The stranger chased down his ball and snagged it with ease, immediately falling back into dribbling and starting to make his way back across the court. Jinyoung held his glare as he waited for the boy to face him so he could scold him for shouting so inconsiderately and—

  _‘Oh.’_

Any semblance of irritation disappeared from Jinyoung’s mind so fast when his eyes fell on the stranger’s face—it was as if those feelings had never existed in the first place.

The boy had a strong, chiseled jaw and his expression was relaxed, resting in a contented smile from his previous success. He focused on the ball he was dribbling, seeming not to notice Jinyoung focusing on _him,_ book nearly forgotten.

As he watched the other dash across the court in preparation for a lay-up, his eyes followed the line of his body with a ridiculous sort of awe. He didn't notice his body leaning forward and his grip loosening until the other boy went to shoot and the heavy book dropped from his hands, hitting the ground with a loud thud. This effectively broke Jinyoung from his trance and made the stranger falter, overshooting so both were left watching the ball bounce into the grass behind the hoop.

The seconds that passed seemed to drag out much too long and things appeared in slow motion as the young athlete started to turn towards the source of the noise which disturbed him.

As soon as their eyes locked, Jinyoung could feel the heat flaring in his cheeks out of embarrassment and he scrambled to gather his book off the concrete, stripped of his usual grace and left looking like a bumbling idiot. Once he had it in his hands once more he fixed his gaze on a random page it opened to. He was afraid to look up again but didn't want to struggle with finding his place once more. His ears strained to hear what the other was doing now, hoping for retreating footsteps or the continued dribbling of the ball. What he caught instead sounded like a stifled laugh, tempting him to lift his gaze, but he couldn't bring himself to risk meeting those eyes.

It must not have been hard to tell he wasn't really reading the words on the page because soon he could hear footsteps approaching. As soon as they came into his peripheral view, he raised his book a bit more, the heat in his face increasing as he tried to at least look focused enough that he'd be left alone.

“Hey.” A smooth, deep voice tried to catch his attention, nearly startling Jinyoung again. The tone wasn't aggressive or irritated. Slowly, he lowered his book and lifted his gaze, closing the cover as he worried his lip in his teeth.

The look on the boy’s face was bordering on smug and Jinyoung would most certainly have been irritated if it weren't for the fact that the expression suited him _really well_. It was unfair, really. 

As he came to realize he'd been addressed and nearly jumped to reply, the other spoke up instead. 

“Do you really come to the basketball court to read, or just to ogle the people playing?” There was a hint of a laugh in his voice and Jinyoung might've been angry at his assumptions if he weren't so flustered.

“I don't come to ogle people!” He huffed out defensively, resisting the pout that tried to settle on his face. This stranger didn't need any more help to not take him seriously. “Usually there's no one here, so I come here for peace and quiet, but then _you_ came in and started shouting and—”

“And so you started checking me out?”

“ _No!_ ” His quick response only drew out a loud laugh from the other, his face lighting up. Jinyoung really _should’ve_ been angry that this person he didn't even know was teasing him, but it was really hard when the other boy had a face like that. He could only hold his demeanor so much longer before he found himself starting to crack up as well. He leaned back into the bench in defeat as he chuckled and the stranger took this as an invitation to sit beside him.

“I'm Jaebum. My friends call me JB.” Jaebum flashed a wide smile at Jinyoung and _honestly,_ it was stupid how easily that expression made him want to just _melt_.

“Jinyoung. Sorry I distracted you from practicing.” The apology earned him a dismissive wave of the hand in response.

“It's not really practice. I was just playing around.” Jaebum’s tone was casual as he shrugged, leaning back into the seat.

Those few hours which were usually spent completely engrossed in some kind of literature were instead used up talking idly with the stranger, learning a few little things about each other and finding a surprise in just how easily they got on.

Neither noticed how the time passed, stuck in their own bubble with nothing to disturb them until Jaebum’s loud ringer went off. Both were a bit startled, soon falling into laughter though, and Jaebum was still chuckling as he answered it. He was barely able to get out a greeting before he had to pull the phone away from his ear. Jinyoung could hear the loud, almost shrill voice coming through the speaker seeming awfully distressed, though no words could be made out among the troubled rambling.

“Hold on, hold on—Christ, Youngjae, calm down a second.” Jaebum sighed out, showing no worry for whatever was upsetting the caller. Youngjae at least quieted down enough that Jaebum could hold his phone to his ear properly, but his voice was still audible to Jinyoung as he tried to determine the situation.

“Relax, I'll be over soon just—give me a second, alright? I'm sure she's fine.” The other reassured his friend with only a faint sense of irritation before ending the call and getting to his feet. The annoyed expression which had been blooming on his face morphed quickly into an apologetic one as he looked back at Jinyoung. His teeth drew in his lower lip lightly in a way that was most definitely _not_ distracting whatsoever and Jinyoung flashed him a smile, hoping none of his disappointment managed to seep into it.

“I suppose you'll be taking off then?” He rubbed his neck, trying not to show just how much he wanted Jaebum to stick around.

“Yeah my… My friend’s dog took off and he needs help finding her.” Jaebum huffed a bit, glancing down to his feet a moment as he toed lightly at the ground. “I'm really sorry—”

“It's perfectly fine. I should be getting home soon anyways,” Jinyoung cut him off, still smiling and waving him off a bit, covering up his reluctance.

“Alright… I'll see you around, then?” The older boy started to walk backwards, smiling again as he waved before turning away to jog off to where he was needed. Jinyoung’s smile turned up a bit more naturally as he watched his retreating back and sighed to himself. He waited until Jaebum was out of sight to get to his feet so he could leave. It wasn't until he'd started off toward home that he realized that he should've asked for a number or a KakaoTalk or something similar so they might keep some contact.

_‘Shit.’_

 

~ ~

 

The weather continued to be decent and Jinyoung continued to visit the basketball court. He tried to tell himself he wasn't just hoping to see Jaebum, but every time he lifted his gaze from his book at the sound of footsteps he found himself less and less able to be convincing, even to himself. The first few days he came proved to be fruitless as he remained alone the whole while, but he kept coming nonetheless. At the very least, he told himself, it continued to be a quiet area he was able to relax in, so why shouldn't he keep coming back?

That didn't keep away the disappointment when Jaebum didn't show up.

By the third day he'd settled a bit, no longer snapping his gaze up at any sound that might indicate someone near. Jinyoung barely diverted his attention from his book but still occasionally glanced about with a little bit of hope he kept trying to ignore.

It had been an hour or two when he finally heard someone's footsteps and told himself not to get all excited over it. When they were followed by the dribbling of a ball, Jinyoung nearly rolled his eyes at the way his heartbeat started to quicken and lifted his book a bit more to shield his face from whoever was there. There was a pause in the dribbling, followed by the smooth _swish_ of the ball dropping straight through the net and he couldn't resist anymore.

Slowly, Jinyoung peeked over the top of his book, feeling a cringeworthy swell in his chest as he spotted exactly who he'd been waiting for. He huffed softly at himself for his reaction as he looked back at the words on the page because _honestly_ , what kind of person gets so excited over someone they had barely met?

As Jinyoung started to sneak more glances at the other boy from behind his book, he decided that he is that kind of person.

All this time he spent more or less spying on the other practicing, Jaebum never seemed to notice him or pay him any attention. Which was _fine_ , he assured himself. He didn't want to be noticed anyways. That would just be embarrassing, surely. Eyes grazing over the words of his book, he never really processed what they said as his mind kept going straight back to Jaebum. Jinyoung looked up again to catch another glimpse--

 _Oh shit_. The other boy was already looking at him. He'd been caught and he could already feel the heat rising in his face but…

Jaebum was the first to glance away, _his_ face almost red as he looked down at the ball he was dribbling. He had his lower lip between his teeth and _he_ looked embarrassed when really it should've been Jinyoung.

Had Jaebum been staring first?

This thought made Jinyoung's face redden more and he couldn't help but smile to himself as he looked back at his book. _God_ , he was acting like a teenage girl in a shitty movie and it was honestly starting to get to him.

It only took a few more shared glances before Jaebum came to sit beside him as he'd done before. They talked about nothing in particular, just little details about themselves and thoughts on everything around them. Time passed without interruption, and unlike the other day, they only stopped because of the falling darkness.

Conversation had drifted into silence. They sat looking past the trees at the colorful sky as the sun sunk below the horizon, reveling in each other’s presence. It was comfortable if not a bit bittersweet, both knowing it was about time they parted ways, and before long, Jinyoung caught the other glancing at him. He had been trying to be a bit sneaky about it, but seemingly had something on his mind. Smiling softly, the younger turned to look at Jaebum straight on, gaining some confidence from the other’s growing shyness.

“Let me see your phone.” He demanded gently, holding out a hand to take it. Jaebum caught on right away and grinned wide, handing over the device and taking Jinyoung’s as it was offered. They exchanged numbers before swapping back and Jaebum was quick to send an experimental text to make sure it worked. Jinyoung checked it right away only to start laughing when he saw the long string of emojis.

After this they both stood, knowing they both ought to be leaving at this point. They shared quick goodbyes before heading off their separate ways.

As Jinyoung got home, he kept looking at the message from Jaebum and found himself grinning at the screen like a fool.

 

~ ~

 

Neither boy really visited the court after that encounter, not when they could easily message each other instead of waiting around for one to show up. They ended up learning each other's schedules based on when they could and couldn't give responses. Jinyoung found that Jaebum worked most days, taking long shifts at the hospital as a nurse so he could live on his own. In return, he divulged that he worked meager hours at a bookstore that was near his apartment, which paid barely enough, but was something he really enjoyed. Jaebum had advised that he take on a second low-stress job to make ends meet better. Jinyoung agreed to start searching as soon as he could.

Despite their busy schedules (or really just Jaebum's), they kept in close contact, messaging whenever they could and occasionally calling each other on breaks. A week passed like this, their schedules never really matching up enough to allow them to meet in person, which was beginning to make Jinyoung a bit antsy. He liked seeing the other in person, sitting close and giving fleeting glances, trying to contain the butterflies that Jaebum set loose in his stomach. He could understand, though. The older boy was busy with his shifts and even when he was off, as Jinyoung found, he was utterly exhausted. There had been at least two occasions on which Jaebum had fallen asleep during a phone call in the middle of the day.

Finally, on a pleasant afternoon when Jinyoung was free from work, he'd received a message from Jaebum to let him know he was off for a few days. As excited as it got him to think they might actually be able to get together, he encouraged the other to use the time to rest up. He certainly deserved it. To his surprise, though, Jaebum insisted against it and _he_ was the one to suggest their meeting. It would be a lie to say Jinyoung’s heart didn't flutter a bit as they set up a plan to eat lunch at the court they'd met at. (It wasn't a _date_ though, he told himself. Of course it wasn't.)

Before long, the younger was waiting at his usual bench, a bag with food he'd prepared sat next to him as he looked out for his companion. It wasn't anything fancy, just simple things that they could eat cold. When the other’s approaching figure caught his eye, he tried not to grin too wide or adjust his hair and clothes too much, realizing Jaebum looked perfect and Jinyoung felt as if he should've tried harder with his appearance before he came. (It's _not_ a date, he reminded himself.) Nonetheless, he gestured to the open space at his side on the bench and started to dig in his bag to give Jaebum some of the packed food.

The pair chatted away pleasantly as they ate together, the older boy telling a few stories of the more interesting happenings at the hospital and Jinyoung following them by updating Jaebum on some of the interviews he'd gotten scheduled, having eagerly followed his advice to take another part-time for more cash. The pride that took up his companion’s face made his chest constrict in a way that wasn't entirely unpleasant. Having such undivided attention from him made Jinyoung's heart beat just a little bit faster and he couldn't help but feel hope start to build up in him. (Hope for _what_ , he surely didn't know. What did he have to hope for?)

When they finished their food they talked a bit longer, no one topic sticking for very long as they laughed together and tried to make the most of their time. Conversation eventually dwindled down to comfortable silence which didn't last very long before Jaebum was getting to his feet with the basketball he always brought.

“Don't suppose you wanna play?” He asked over his shoulder as he dribbled his way to the court. Jinyoung gave him a sheepish smile, shaking his head and ruffling his own hair a bit.

“I prefer to just watch you,” he replied, not realizing how that may come off until the other’s expression broke into a sly grin, making him flush.

“Of course you do.” Jaebum winked and chuckled, then turned to his side to take a shot. The younger groaned at himself and covered his face in his hands for a few moments before sitting back to watch his friend again.

Jinyoung found it was nice to watch the other without having to hide behind something. He didn't miss as much and he was able to give little cheers whenever he successfully made a basket. After a short while though, he became curious about the amount of skill Jaebum had. What all could he do? He chewed his lip a moment as he watched him make another shot before speaking up.

“Do you think you can make a basket from half court?” He called out with a grin, challenging the other a bit to see just how good he was. This earned him a raised eyebrow followed by a confident smirk as Jaebum shrugged nonchalantly, though he knew the boy was certain he could make it.

Jaebum watched his ball as he dribbled to the center of the court before catching it and holding it in both arms as he seemed to judge the shot. He looked at the basket, looking slightly unsure before turning to Jinyoung with a crooked smile.

“Okay,” he stated, talking more to himself as he dribbled a few more times in preparation. The younger of the pair watched intently as Jaebum got into position, barely hesitating before shooting. Following the ball with his eyes, he watched it go in flawlessly and cheered as he turned back to the other. Jaebum grinned and held up a peace sign by his eye before jogging to retrieve his ball. (Jinyoung tried not to think too much about how cute that gesture had been.)

Rather than going back to making shots when he got his ball, Jaebum approached the bench, holding it under his arm as he got closer. The glint in his eye was already making Jinyoung’s face heat up before he even said anything. As the older stopped in front of him, he leaned down a bit to get closer, though making sure he wasn't looming over the other.

“A~, you like me, right?” He said suddenly, making Jinyoung flush deeper and sputter as he tried to form some kind of response. Jaebum just gave him a knowing look with a smirk before stepping away and going back to make another shot.

 

——

 

Jaebum had never spent so much time in front of a mirror. After asking Jinyoung to meet up while he wasn't busy he wanted to scold himself for behaving as nervously as he was. The outfit he was wearing was already better looking than anything the other had seen him in so far, surely, yet here he was examining his reflection as he held up jacket after jacket trying to find the best thing to wear. None of them were good enough; too fancy, too short, too worn. When he finally checked the time to find it was about time to head out, he sighed and decided what he was already wearing was fine. Leaning a bit closer to his mirror, he fixed his hair to be sure nothing was sticking up wrong and adjusted the chain around his neck before stepping back.

“Looking good,” he sighed at himself with a contented smile before taking off to meet up.


	2. Story 2: Mark

College was kicking Jackson’s ass. _Hard_.

He's been utterly swamped with work, trying to finish up his major a little faster to just _get it over with._ At the time it had seemed like a great idea but now he just really wanted to go back in time to smack his past self and get him to let JB and Youngjae talk him out of doing summer courses. Both warned him he would ultimately regret it but of course, he didn't listen.

Now he’s been cooped up in the apartment he shared with his friend Yugyeom for the past week or so. Yugyeom was starting college in the fall semester, having just graduated high school. He'd found Jackson’s ad looking for a roommate and they hit it off right away. Of course the younger was out a lot, though, either at his job or just making the most of his summer while he could.

Jackson was almost finished with his last essay and somehow JB and Youngjae had ended up in his apartment to “keep him company” while he suffered through this. It was late at this point and if anything, they were distracting him from getting the paper finished what with how they were somehow making Jackson feel an awful lot like a third wheel. He was at his dining room table with his laptop while they sat on the couch, JB laying with his head on Youngjae’s lap while the latter played with his hair. This wouldn't be too bad if it weren't for the fact that JB was _gushing_ to his boyfriend about a cute boy he'd met recently.

Any other time Jackson would tease his older friend about how he sounded like a teenage girl going on and on about this boy but he was trying so hard to focus and get done. He would have an easier time ignoring them if this didn't seem so incredibly out of character. It seemed Youngjae had seriously rubbed off on his boyfriend as JB went on and _on,_ the younger male interrupting with whines about how much he wanted to meet this boy. After a while Jackson finally got tired of it and let out a long-suffering groan, turning to face them.

“Okay first off, have you told this guy that you have a boyfriend? Not everyone is poly, you know.” He raised a questioning brow at the pair as they looked to him. Before they could form a response he held up a hand and continued.

“ _Second,_ all your crushing on strangers is seriously distracting and I just really want to get this paper done before midnight, so I'm kicking you two out.”

“What? It's so late though, can't we stay over?” Youngjae pouted at him, only earning a heavy huff from Jackson who got to his feet, prepared to physically remove them from his apartment.

“Okay okay, we’re going! Jesus.” JB rolled his eyes and hopped up, pulling his boyfriend to his feet and heading for the door without so much as a goodbye. Jackson knew he wasn't nearly as mad as he let on, just playing around for the most part.

“Good luck on your paper! Get some sleep!” Youngjae called and waved before shutting the door and leaving their host in blissful quiet.

With probably the thousandth sigh of the night, Jackson returned to his computer to finish up and hopefully get to bed before midnight.

The clock glaring _11:34_ at him told him otherwise.

\--

Being woken by the air being crushed out of his body definitely would not have been what Jackson had chosen as an alarm.

The weight landed on him hard and his eyes snapped open quick as he let out a wheeze from his lungs pushing all the oxygen out. It took him a moment to register the loud yelling and giggling from the giant baby who decided this was a good idea. As soon as his mind cleared away the sleepy haze a bit more, Jackson shoved at his (ex) friend until he felt the weight lift and heard a satisfying _thunk_ on the floor. Yugyeom promptly started complaining but the older allowed himself a smile as he sat up and caught his breath.

“Jackson what the hell?!” He looked over at the boy still sitting on his floor pouting at him dramatically and gave a huff.

“I could say the same to you. Who said it was okay to try and kill me in my sleep?” Jackson rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stood up unsteadily, lightly kicking Yugyeom’s leg as he passed. “And don't talk to me like that, I'm your hyung.”

A loud groan followed him from his room and he heard the other boy scramble to his feet as well.

“I had to wake you up somehow! You were practically dead and it's almost noon, _hyung._ ” He rolled his eyes at the younger’s dramatics, heading for the kitchen with a yawn.

“You have no idea how late I was up doing that fucking essay. God, never take summer courses, Yugyeommie. Even if it means you'll finish sooner, it's not worth it.” As he opened the fridge a whine escaped him at the underwhelming sight. All they had was a few drinks and some eggs which may or may not be spoiled. “You need to go shopping.”

“ _Me?_ But you're the hyung, I thought. Aren't you supposed to take care of me?” Yugyeom muttered as he came up behind him to look at the sad sight for himself. “Besides, you really need to get out anyways. You've been stuck inside the whole week and you look like total shit.”

Yugyeom snickered and took off running before Jackson could spin around and hit him.

“Yah! I'll kick your ass for that, Kim Yugyeom!” He yelled after the younger but didn't pursue him, giving in and just grumbling a bit as he trudged back to his room. As soon as he entered he sent a longing glance to his bed and whispered a soft promise. “I'll return soon, my love.”

“Quit being weird and get out of here!” Yugyeom successfully startled him with his shout from the other room, getting nothing but a curse in response. Some people just couldn't let him have fun, he supposed. With a quick search through his drawers he picked out something to wear for the day, settling for a black sleeveless shirt and some dark jeans before slipping into the bathroom for a shower. He made a point not to look in the mirror despite his certainty that his roommate had been joking.

The hot water did him well. He could feel the past week’s stress melting off of him as he cleaned himself up, spending a little extra time just basking in the warmth. It wasn't until he started to lose that heat that he finally finished up and got out, though he decided it was definitely worth it.

He dried and dressed himself quickly, not wasting the time to fix his hair before returning to his room and ultimately just hiding it under a snapback anyways. After pocketing his wallet he went to the door to put on his shoes and prepare to head out, preening in front of the mirror there just briefly before opening the door.

“I'm leaving! Don't break anything, Yugyeommie!” Jackson called sweetly back into the apartment and shut the door behind him before any form of response could be shot back.

\--

The original plan had been to take a nice little walk to the store and stock up on food for their apartment, despite how his dongsaeng suggesting it made him want to ignore that altogether. Even if the boy got on his nerves way too much, they really did need to fill their fridge.

However, Jackson's tired mind had little regard for prior planning. Which is why he found himself wandering into a park instead.

When his thoughts caught up with what his body was doing, he brought himself over to the basketball court and nearly fell onto the bench beside it. He slouched heavily to let his head rest against the back of the seat, closing his eyes against the sunlight. It would've been very easy to doze off like that, the sun warming his skin and the birds being nearly the only noise aside from passing cars. A sigh fell from his lips as he allowed himself to relax.

He was broken out of his meditative state by the harsh sound of wheels on the pavement approaching, reluctantly lifting his head and turning his disgruntled gaze to the source. Approaching on a skateboard was a red haired boy -- tall and lanky, incredibly pretty, well dressed…

His brain had to take a few steps back to analyze that second observation. Heat rose to his face as he tried to figure out exactly where the hell that had come from. Shaking his head to clear it, Jackson watched the other boy ride into the court and stop, only to seat himself on his board and take out his phone. He realized he was staring but his mind was busy thinking about how he had a perfectly good space beside him on the bench that was surely more comfortable than a skateboard. It barely took a second for his brain to start deducing how he should address the stranger to successfully earn his company. He could just call to him, but he had to be more eloquent than--

“Sup?” The sudden appearance of another person in front of him nearly makes Jackson jump out of his skin. Upon realizing it was JB who had jumped out of nowhere, he resisted the urge to strike at his friend.

“Jesus, Jaebum! You could've given me a heart attack.” He leaned his head back again with a groan, but only a moment before looking back over at the boy with the skateboard, choosing to ignore the chuckling from JB.

“Are you here alone?” The other asked, drawing his attention again briefly. Jackson barely glanced at the older boy, more interested in the stranger to his other side. He didn't get time to reply when JB spoke again. “I'm bored, do you wanna play basketball?”

Jackson finally fixed him with an annoyed glare at this because _clearly_ he was busy. All he wanted to do was figure out how to approach the beautiful stranger, he didn't have time to play with his friend. Besides, he was still way too exhausted to even think about doing something so physically demanding.

“A~, don't be shy. Let's play a game,” Jaebum teased as he flashed Jackson his award-winning smile. It wasn't working very well, though. That's when his gaze drifted back over to the stranger to find -- _oh shit, he's coming over here._

Jackson’s mind started to spin as he tried to figure out what to do or say. He really hadn't expected the other to be the one to approach him first. The boy’s face looked a bit annoyed as he glanced to JB before stopping in front of Jackson and _oh dear god that smile._ He could feel his heart skip a beat as that expression switched and the stranger reached out and took his hand with no hesitation.

“A, come with me.” It wasn't a question but there was no way Jackson would have said no, really. He didn't even spare JB a glance as he let this boy tug him away. Before he knew it, a huge grin broke out over his face as the boy picked up his board and they made their way out of the park, still hand in hand.

\--

Mark didn't go to the park often. He went on few occasions just to take advantage of the wide paved space, able to ride his board just about anywhere in the area rather than sticking to boring roadsides. Today he had a very empty schedule that he was set on taking advantage of. As he rode up to the basketball court, though, a boy seemingly asleep on the bench caught his eye.

He'd seen him around before, didn't know much about him other than he usually wasn't as quiet or alone as he was now and always had laughter surrounding him. He knew that he had a bright smile and a playful personality. As Mark watched the boy start to lift his head, likely disturbed by the noise he'd made, he stopped his board and sat down, being sure he was on the opposite side of the court from the stranger. To prevent himself from staring, he took out his phone and immediately opened up his chat with Bambam.

**To: Bambam  
I need a little help **

It only took a couple seconds for an excited reply to come.

**_From: Bambam  
im here for you (۶ꈨຶꎁꈨຶ )۶ʸᵉᵃʰᵎ _**

**_whats up???_ **

**To: Bambam  
There's a really hot guy but I don't know what to do **

**Should I ask him out??**

**_From: Bambam  
omg!!!!_ **

**_go for it man!!!!! fighting!!_ **

His friend’s encouragement was about all he needed to convince him, honestly. As he was about to stand and make his approach, he realized someone was talking and lifted his gaze to see another boy leaned over _his_ boy. He almost just left them be, figuring sadly he was looking at a taken man, until the stranger’s eyes met his for a few moments, noting his annoyed expression.

With that, he took a deep breath and got to his feet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I might have rushed this but I wanted to update soon!! I was already close to halfway done with this one when I posted the last, so it didn't take too long to finish it.
> 
> I know the ends of these are a bit unsatisfactory, but there will be more of each person's story in time, don't worry!!
> 
> That aside, I can't believe how many kudos I got already!! Thank you all so much, and thank you for the really nice comments too! I love the feedback <3
> 
> I haven't started the next story yet so it may be a while longer to update again, so sorry in advance ;w;


	3. Story 3: Jackson

Mark didn't really expect the other to follow him so willingly. It had been a surprising moment of confidence for him. It was a bit out of character, really, considering he wasn't the most talkative or forward person. He wasn't sure if it was because of Bambam’s encouragement over text or if he just had a sudden spur of absolutely no reservations. Either way, he was certain he didn't regret it considering he was escorting this stranger to the supermarket, though it was almost uncomfortably quiet.

“Um, my name’s Mark. Just, by the way.” He finally spoke up, glancing over at his new companion. The other seemed surprised for a moment before grinning.

“Jackson. Nice to meet you, Mark.” The black haired boy responded, then tilted his head a bit before pointing out the slightly strange thing about the older boy. “You've got an English name.”

Mark laughed lightly, rubbing his neck. “Yeah, I'm from America, actually. LA. What about you? Yours is English too.”

“Hong Kong. It's not my birth name but I like it a lot.” Jackson shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets in an uncharacteristically shy display. “Do you speak English, then? Since you were living in America.”

“Yeah. I speak it better than Korean, if I'm honest,” he looked down at his feet, biting his lip a bit. “Along with mandarin.”

“Me too!” The younger boy immediately got excited, shouting in English before doing a dramatic greeting and introduction in mandarin, earning more laughter from the other. Mark felt like he was getting closer to him by the second despite them having just met.

By the time they reached the grocery store they had completely switched over to speaking in English. It was Jackson who did most of the talking, of course, and they were so caught up in conversation that Mark didn't even realize he was accompanying him to get his shopping done. Neither mentioned it and they just sort of stayed by one another. Once they'd left, he helped Jackson to carry his things, eagerly offering to walk him home as well.

“So, uh, who was that guy who was bugging you back at the basketball court?” Mark broke another, more relaxed silence as they walked side by side down the street. It earned a short laugh from the other, confusing the red haired male even more.

“His name’s Jaebum. He's a friend.” Jackson snickered still as he spoke. The older boy almost immediately flushed out of embarrassment, but before he could open his mouth to apologize, he was cut off. “It's fine, he was bothering me a little.”

It didn't bring any relief really but after a moment the somewhat familiar name really hit Mark. He blinked in surprise, trying to make sure he'd heard right before clarifying with the other.

“Jaebum? My friend Youngjae’s boyfriend is a Jaebum…” He trailed off, unsure until he saw surprised recognition flash in Jackson's eyes.

“Wait, you're friends with Youngjae?!” He nearly shouted, making Mark laugh and nod quickly.

“We got a dog together a little while ago.”

“So _you're_ the one he calls Coco’s daddy!” Mark nearly lost it at that, laughing harder and having to try hard not to drop the bags he was carrying as he nodded. Honestly the fact that Youngjae would call him that came as no surprise, but it was hilarious anyways. “I can't believe we've never met. What the hell.”

It took a moment for Jackson to get over pouting at not having been introduced and for Mark to calm his laughter, but they eventually fell into a relaxed silence. The taller of the pair watched his feet shyly, scuffing the ground with a toe as the walked. After a moment he felt a tug on his sleeve pulling him to the right and looked up in surprise to find Jackson bringing him closer to his side.

“You should stand by me here, the road’s not too big.” The brunette explained simply, earning a quiet nod because Mark certainly didn't know how else to respond. He wasn't at all opposed to staying a bit closer, though.

The pair chatted casually as they wandered, joking and laughing all the way. Jackson had a very distinct laugh. It was high and loud, easy to compare to a hyena. Just the sound of it made the elder want to laugh with him, even if the joke he'd made to earn it wasn't all that funny. He didn't want to take his eyes off of him, just admiring his smile, the way his eyes shone with excitement and how he beamed like there was no wrong in the world. Not wanting to stare, he would watch the road most of the time and just shoot little glances or watch him under the cover that he was just paying close attention to his words. (Not that he wasn't listening, of course. He could never lose interest in this stranger.)

At one point, he stared a bit too long and ended up catching Jackson lifting his head to glance back at him. The shorter male seemed to get a bit flustered by this and tried to play it off by glancing behind him instead. Before he could turn his attention forward again, though, he did a double take, eyes widening a bit. Mark didn't have time to follow his gaze before he was grabbed by the arm and tugged to move to Jackson's other side, looking over to see a car pass them quickly, a bit close for comfort.

“A! I told you to stand by me!” Jackson told him a bit sternly, expression torn between worry, annoyance and shyness. Mark stuttered out an apology, still surprised by it all, and they were left staring at each other for a few moments longer. Before he knew it, his eyes were flicking down to glance at Jackson’s lips, but he was given no time to even think about doing something when the other tore his eyes away and started walking again.

Of course, it wasn't until he was being tugged along that he realized he still had the younger's arm around his back. Biting his lip to keep from smiling too much, Mark took to watching his feet again, hoping the pinkness of his cheeks wasn't too obvious.

It wasn't much further down the street before they came to an apartment building, Jackson leading him inside. They took the stairs to the third floor and, surprisingly enough, he was invited inside to set the groceries inside at least. As much as he might've liked to, though, he couldn't stay. Once he'd set down his bags on the kitchen counter, he reluctantly started shuffling back towards the door.

“Ah, I gotta get outta here, but it was great meeting you, Jackson. I hope we see each other again.” He paused about halfway to the door when his momentary host stopped putting things away to look at him.

“Oh, ok see youuu--wwwaIT!” Jackson stopped him before he could move further, grabbing a pen and notepad and scribbling on it, handing the paper to Mark. “Here's my number. Text me sometime? We can figure out a time to hang out again.”

His heart nearly stopped as he took the paper. _Calm down, Mark,_ he told himself. _It's not a big deal._ (It was. It really was.)

“Yeah, sounds great,” he smiled wide, pocketing the phone number. “I'll make sure and message you later. Talk to you then?”

The level of calmness he was able to hold while he talked was honestly a miracle.

“Yeah! Later, Mark.” Jackson beamed and waved as the older finally left. As soon as he was out the door, he paused, taking a deep breath and finally letting himself grin wide in excitement over this whole ordeal.

\--

When Jackson dubiously agreed to walk with Mark, he didn't expect to actually have a good time with him. They didn't do much but he had already found they have quite a bit in common, what with their interests and shared languages. It was surprisingly nice to spend a little time with him.

After they'd gotten the groceries, he found it was really hard to keep from looking at Mark the whole way to his apartment. Of course he gave him his full attention while they chatted, but even in the little moments of silence he wanted to stare, to take in all the details of his face and admire just how _pretty_ he was. He wanted to map out the slightly more prominent cheekbones and the curve of his jaw, memorize it all so he could know what he looked like without even looking.

_Quit being a sap,_ he told himself, making himself look down at his feet. _And staring is creepy._

A few times he found the urge to drape an arm around the other's shoulders, to pull him into his side and feel their bodies closer together. _But,_ they didn't know each other very well so he he didn't know if the older would be okay with any kind of skinship. The temptation was still there, being strong enough that Jackson lifted his arm a few times and nearly went for it, but never actually let it happen. At one point he nearly got caught and had to turn the movement into him adjusting his hat.

Eventually he actually worked up the courage to pull Mark closer by his sleeve. He didn't move him much, just enough and gave an excuse about the cars driving by. It was a really shitty excuse but it seemed to work because Mark didn't move away at all. _It's the little victories,_ he told himself with an internal triumph.

After a long period of him snagging little glimpses between looking at his feet, he had managed to stop for a few minutes at least, then he lost his resolved and lifted his gaze again.

Only to find Mark was already looking at him.

Feeling heat rush to his face, he tried to make it casual by looking behind him at the approaching car--

_Oh shit._ There was a car coming. So Jackson went and did the only thing he could think to do to make sure Mark wouldn't get hit.

If he had a bit of an ulterior motive along with that, Mark didn't need to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh this took so long and it's so short I'm sorry!! Jackson's teaser doesn't give much to work with and I wanted this to pretty much be a direct continuation of the last one. I hope it's not too disappointing!! There will be more to this fic after the actual teasers so this isn't all.
> 
> That aside, thank you everyone so much for the comments and kudos! Ahh they went up so quickly I'm so happy! I hope you continue to follow this because I plan to keep going with this for a while.
> 
> Please look forward to the next chapter! I'll try to get it done soon.


	4. Story #4: Jr.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW OKAY ITS BEEN A WHILE HELLO  
> I feel so bad I took so so long ;w; I hope y'all are still following this because I refuse to drop this fic even if I'm super busy and take my gotdam time like a lOSeR  
> ANYWAYS here it is!! Finally!! An update!!! And thanks to a good friendo of mine (@chimchiminie, bless ur soul) Some edits have been made to earlier chapters. Nothing that changes the plot, just some nice fixes~

 

“You know that feeling when you've either got the butterflies or you really need to vomit?”

 

“Youngjae, Jesus--”

 

“Because that's me right now. Holy shit.” Youngjae bounced on the balls of his feet, waiting in front of a nice little bakery with his boyfriend for the new cute boy Jinyoung to arrive. Needless to say he was nervous as hell and Jaebum was quickly losing his patience with him. They'd only been there a few minutes but it felt like hours when his heart was pounding like he was about to die. As far as he knew he would when he actually saw this guy.

 

Jaebum soon grinned and waved and Youngjae had to swallow back a scream as he turned to follow his gaze and look at this super-cute-adorable-kinda-sexy boy. Jinyoung had one of the sweetest smiles he'd ever seen and he was wearing really nice glasses and a  _ sweater _ and Youngjae knew he was already in too deep.

 

“Hey, you made it.” The eldest of the trio greeted their newcomer, taking one of his hands and leaning in to peck his cheek. Which was fine. Really, he wasn't jealous that someone else was being kissed by Jaebum, it was more that he was jealous that he wouldn't get to kiss Jinyoung himself yet. “Ah, this is my… This is Youngjae.”

 

Youngjae gave him a big smile and bowed to the older boy, resisting from commenting just how cute he looked with his cheeks all flushed from Jaebum kissing him. “I've heard a lot about you, hyung! I'm happy we could finally meet.”

 

“Ah, you too, Youngjae-yah.” Oh no. Having that smile directed at him was like being showered in golden sunshine and warmth. While Jinyoung wasn't quite looking he turned to Jaebum to clutch his chest and mouth ‘OH MY GOD.’ All he received in response was a knowing smile before they were stepping inside the bakery. The place was cozy and warm -- a small business that had little ornate looking tables and booths. The trio sat and Youngjae tried not to make a face as his boyfriend slid into the same booth seat as… His boyfriend’s boyfriend? He wasn’t actually sure if the other two considered themselves a couple yet but he could see that both of them were certainly interested. The question was whether or not Jinyoung would be just as interested in Youngjae.

 

They settled in comfortably, the eldest of them trying to get small talk going so they wouldn’t be too awkward. He just really wanted everyone to be getting along, Youngjae knew that, but he was still so enthralled by Jinyoung that he was worried about making a fool of himself. Before he could snap himself out of staring at the new boy, Jaebum was standing up, earning a frightened gaze from the youngest but he simply gave a wink to try and reassure him.

 

“Just get me whatever looks good and an Americano, hyung.” Jinyoung spoke up, helping Youngjae to realize his boyfriend was buying them treats. He relaxed some at that and didn’t even think to give a request as he turned to the other younger male. His silence made Jinyoung raise a brow at him questioningly. “Do you not want anything…?”

 

“Oh! Don’t worry, Jaebummie knows what I like.” He grinned to ease the confusion as he explained. Apparently the nickname he used was amusing because he was soon graced with the sound of Jinyoung’s laughter. It was soft, but very much genuine, his shoulders shaking with it as he instinctively held a hand up to cover his mouth. His eyes squeezed into crescents with his smile and his near giggling was infectious enough to get Youngjae going. “What? You think something is funny?”

 

“Ah, it’s just…” Jinyoung started to calm down a bit, airy chuckling subsiding. “You two are really close, aren’t you? You have nicknames and you’re so informal… You seem to know a lot about one another.” His gaze turned down to his lap and the younger couldn’t tell if the pink tint of his cheeks was from nerves or his laughing fit. One thing he was certain of was how much he wanted to kiss those cheeks and feel their heat on his lips.

 

Mentally cursing himself, he tried to ignore the fact that he was already so gone in just the first proper meeting.

 

“We’ve known each other for quite some time now, so we grew really close… We’re roommates and everything. There’s really no secrets between us, so he told me all about you. That’s why I was so excited to meet you, because I knew just how much Jaebum cared about you.”

 

_ Shit, you did it again, Youngjae. Don’t blow it. _

 

“I-I mean! You two got pretty close pretty fast too! Hyung is usually a bit more closed off, he’s not always easy to get along with, you know? So that means he really likes you if he already took to you so much.” He really needed to shut his mouth because his voice was gradually gaining more volume from his nervous excitement. These shouldn’t even be things he’s saying to Jinyoung anyways. He rambled enough, Jinyoung didn’t need to know exactly how much he and Jaebum liked him. This was sure to quickly become a problem. Needless to say, Youngjae was relieved by the sight of Jaebum returning with their orders. With the eldest there it would be easier to shut his mouth and keep from totally spilling things he shouldn’t be saying.

 

The rest of the date --  _ meeting _ \-- went without incident thankfully. They took a walk after finishing at the bakery and went to the basketball court JB liked so much, chatting casually along the way. Youngjae didn’t miss the way Jinyoung stole glances at his boyfriend, the way his gaze softened on Jaebum and he had a clear flush to his cheeks still lingering. It made him faintly bitter, but he couldn’t help it. It might have been selfish but he was interested in Jinyoung too and he wanted to be looked at like that too. Of course he had Jaebum, and it wasn’t that they weren’t enough for each other. They just both had a lot of love to give and saw no reason to resist from sharing it.

 

When it came time to part ways, Jinyoung got another chaste kiss to his cheek from Jaebum before he was headed on his way home. The two conflicted boys he was coming to know watched him walk away, each sighing and turning to one another as he went out of sight.

 

“What are we gonna do, Jaebummie? God, he’s adorable. He’s hot. I don’t know how to handle him. He clearly likes you. A lot. But I mean who wouldn’t?” Youngjae started to ramble again as they turned to head towards their own home. “You’re beautiful and incredible and so sweet. But what if he doesn’t like me? I know you like him, I do too, but if he doesn’t like me, what will we do? He probably doesn’t even get poly stuff, let alone support it, and he would just--”

 

His long-winded speech of his worries was cut off by a heavy huff from his boyfriend. The older slung an arm around his shoulders and pressed a few kisses to his temple. He just wanted Youngjae to relax for now. “Of course he likes you, Youngjae. You never did anything to make him dislike you. As for if he has a bad opinion of polyamory…”

 

Biting his lip, Jaebum considered the thought a moment.

 

“Then either we try to help him understand and accept it, or he’s out of our lives.” His tone was so resolute it made Youngjae’s eyes widen. He was somewhat relieved that no matter what, Jaebum would stick with him, but he also felt bad that he would ever think otherwise. 

 

“I really hope he won’t mind… I wouldn’t want you to lose your chance with him.” The younger leaned into his side, sighing a little. Glancing up, he met his boyfriend’s eyes, seeing the glint in them and feeling his face flush. He’d never get used to that look, it always meant that he was plotting something. “Aish, don’t look at me like that… What are you thinking?”

 

“Nothing, nothing. Let’s just get home, stop worrying about all this.” The other responded with a little laugh, squeezing Youngjae against his side. The walk to the apartment wasn’t a long one but it was enough to get the younger male nervously excited over whatever might happen.

 

\--

 

Over the next few weeks, he got to know Jinyoung a lot better. He would run into him at the bookstore, while getting lunch or groceries, both with and without Jaebum. They exchanged numbers and started to properly meet up on their own, getting together for walks or for food. They learned more about each other and quickly became close, nearly as close as Jinyoung had already been with Jaebum.

 

Only problem was, when Jinyoung and Jaebum hung out on their own, it was dates. When Jinyoung and Youngjae spent time together, it was just as friends. Youngjae wanted to go on dates with the older boy too. He wanted it badly and took to whining about it to his boyfriend when they were at home. Jaebum always shut him up one way or another, easing his jealousy for the night by doting on him.

 

After waiting, hoping, and making small passes at Jinyoung casually for several weeks, Youngjae felt like he was getting nowhere. He was getting a bit frustrated at the fact that he wasn’t exactly getting anything reciprocated from his new crush even when Jaebum grew so much closer to him. All in all, even with Jaebum reassuring him and taking care of him, he needed an outlet for some stress. Maybe it was a reckless decision, but he got word of a party and decided he  had to go.

 

It was a night when Jaebum was working a late shift at the hospital. Youngjae got ready alone and headed to the house of a near stranger for some dancing and drinking. They were an acquaintance but he wasn’t terribly familiar with them. It wasn’t a super big party, but there were plenty of people and plenty of booze. It wasn’t until after his third beer, as someone was convincing him to do some shots with them, that he had a fleeting thought of how much Jaebum would chew him out for this.

 

He’d long since lost track of how much he’d drank so far about two hours in. Three? Time was fuzzy too. Pulling out his phone, he checked the time, vision swimming as the screen read  _ 11:20 _ . Youngjae tried to calculate how long he’d been there but he couldn’t even recall when he arrived. At that point, he decided it was probably about time he call it a night. Opening up his text conversation with Jaebum, he tried to tell him to come pick him up.

 

**_To: Jaebongi_ **

**_huyng omg_ **

**_im sos fdrink_ **

**_you gotta ocme get mee_ **

Youngjae had to wait a moment to get a response at all, trying to make his way through the people there to get himself to the door. He barely noticed when his phone vibrated in response.

 

**_From: Jaebongi_ **

**_What?_ **

**_Where are you right now? You know I’m working the night shift._ **

 

After deciphering the blurry words on his screen he was hit with the memory of the reason why he was out alone right now. Jaebum wouldn’t be off work until the early hours of the morning.

 

**_To: Jaebongi_ **

**_but hyungfgg_ **

**_i need ot getr homed_ **

**_walkinf would be baddd and i fornt have momey for a taxik_ **

 

Finally he was out the door and into the cool night air, making him shiver as he looked around. Where was he again? He couldn’t remember the address or where he got it from. Swaying on his feet, he decided it was probably best to sit down before something happened. As he dropped onto the concrete, leaning against the wall of the house, his phone started to go off, blaring the sound of someone screaming ‒ specifically his boyfriend screaming. It made him nearly jump out of his skin and he fumbled to answer the call. Before he could say anything Jaebum was speaking up harshly.

 

_ “Youngjae where the hell are you? How much have you had to drink?”  _ His sharp tone was both frightening and endearing because he knew Jaebum was worried more than anything. Still, he knew he’d get a good scolding as soon as they were in the same room.

 

“Hey, hey… Hey. M’good iss all good. I’m at, uh…”  _ Shit, _ who’s place was it? He couldn’t  remember. Then he had a moment of genius through his drunken haze. “OH. Hold- hold on the address. It’s uh, it’s…”

 

He squinted at the house number before wandering down to the street corner to figure out what the street name was. As soon as he had it he nearly screamed it to Jaebum, feeling awfully triumphant. The groan he got in response was quick to kill his victory, though.

 

_ “Okay, just quiet down and stay by the house… I’ll figure something out to get you home.”  _ Youngjae could hear how tired the older was and managed to feel bad even after all those drinks, but it didn’t last too long as he made his way back to where he’d been sitting against the house.  _ “Just… Stay put, okay? Don’t go wandering off and try not to pass out yet. You understand?” _

 

“Yes sir, Hyung sir. I’ll be right here waiting. You’re gonna… Y’gonna come n’ get me? I miss youuu… Can we cuddle? Pleasee?” He started to whine, remembering that he hadn’t gotten enough quality time with his boyfriend lately. This drew a softer, more resigned sigh from his hyung. “Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease‒”

 

_ “Baby, you know I’m working all night. I promise when I get home we can cuddle all morning, okay? Just be good for me and stay where you are. I’ll see you in the morning.” _

 

Youngjae gave one last whine before relenting, slumping against the wall more and settling in to wait for whatever ride Jaebum would call for him. Probably Jackson, if he was honest, though that would not be a fun experience. Jackson would just complain about having to come and get him in the middle of the night.

 

“Okay… See you then, Jaebongiee~. I love youuuu~~...”

 

_ “Love you too, sweetie. Don’t wait up.” _ Jaebum chuckled before hanging up, leaving the intoxicated boy without anything to keep him entertained and awake. All he could do was watch the cars passing by and hope that one of them would be his ride soon. He couldn’t keep track of how long it was but what he least expected was to see a very angelic face appearing in his line of vision. He blinked his eyes wide as the boy leaned towards him, trying not to smile as he spoke.

 

“Aish, c’mon Youngjae-yah. Let’s get you home, hmm?” Jinyoung grinned finally and grabbed the younger boy’s hands to haul him up to his feet. Once he was certain Youngjae could walk without eating pavement, he started to lead him down the street towards his apartment. It was a long, stumbling journey and the younger was certain he would fall at least once, but Jinyoung was watching out for him. On the occasions he teetered and tipped over, the taller male would be quick to catch him and make sure he could keep walking along.

 

Youngjae almost wanted to fall on purpose so that Jinyoung would hold him in his arms, but he decided it wasn’t worth the bruises and scrapes that would happen as a result. So he did his best to stay upright so he wouldn’t cause too much of an issue for his boyfriend’s boyfriend. It was a quiet walk, only the sound of their shuffling footsteps and the cars passing by to keep it from being perfectly silent. It was soothing even if Youngjae’s head felt so fuzzy he wanted to explode.

 

At one point his gaze went upwards, deciding to stop staring at a worried Jinyoung long enough to look at the stars. He stopped and in turn, the elder did the same. It was clear from his expression when Youngjae glanced back at him that his concern only increased.

 

“The stars’re… So pretty, Hyung.” He giggled, grinning wide as the other boy relaxed, laughing softly with him and gazing up a moment as well. When he looked back at his friend, that gentle smile making Youngjae’s stomach do flips, (or was that the alcohol?) he grabbed him by the hand to carefully lead him to a bench.

 

They sat in silence then, Jinyoung watching the stars and Youngjae watching Jinyoung. He mapped his profile, even when his vision was swimming. He wanted to take it all in and keep a snapshot of this moment in his memory. The way the dim lighting shone in his eyes and made his face look more soft, jaw more sharp… Lips more plump. That was a bad train of thought, he decided, but couldn’t take his eyes off of his mouth. It took him a while to realize they were moving and Jinyoung was trying to talk to him. His gaze dragged up his face until he met his eyes again, seeing how they sparkled with amusement and he actually made an effort to listen to what was being said.

 

“A~, Youngjae-yah, you're drunk, right?” Jinyoung smirked a bit, waving a hand in front of his face. He leaned a bit closer, making his face come into focus for Youngjae a bit more and causing his face to heat up. A small huff of a laugh left the elder as he sat back again. “You got drunk~, you got drunk~.”

 

He looked back to the sky as he finished his teasing and Youngjae couldn’t form a response, so he settled for following his example. As the stars started to blur more, shining dots becoming less and less clear, he let his eyes start to slip shut and drooped against his companion’s shoulder. Before he knew it he was drifting asleep.

 

~~

 

Jinyoung was viciously trying to kick the asses of a bunch of middle schoolers in a first person shooter, pounding the buttons like his life depended on it and nearly throwing his controller down when he got killed for the fifth time. He was glad he decided to forgo his headset because he didn’t care to hear prepubescent boys shouting about how they completely destroyed him.

 

He lost track of time long ago as he played, more worried about fixing his KDR. Waiting to spawn again gave him some time to settle down a little, sighing out a heavy breath. His fingers tapped the black plastic impatiently and as soon as he was thrown back into the round he was running to cover and trying to figure out where the nearest enemies were.

 

As he was playing he noticed his phone buzz, glancing for a second before fixing his eyes back to the screen. It took a few moments for his mind to process that the text had been from Jaebum and the preview said something about Youngjae. Looking to his phone again, he looked at it properly, seeing the words  _ Youngjae  _ and  _ drunk _ causing him to completely toss aside his controller. Picking up his phone, he unlocked it and read the full text.

 

“Seriously?” He remarked at himself. Jaebum was working until the early morning and Youngjae had gone out drinking at some house party with no way to get home. Something in his stomach fluttered at the thought of drunk Youngjae and he told himself it was just worry that the younger would get himself into trouble. He was on his feet in an instant, shoving his phone in his pocket and nearly tripping on his way to the door.

  
He stepped into a pair of shoes, just putting on the first ones he found without realizing they were from completely different pairs. He wouldn’t have been able to care much anyways. All he could think was to get to Youngjae and get him home safe as he rushed out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think, if you have any ideas for the future (because there will be more after the teasers ;3c) or if you see anything I need to fix or clarify! I love feedback!
> 
> OH ON ANOTHER NOTE I started a BTS fic loosely inspired by Dope so I may start posting that soon~ First chapter is unfinished and I really wanted to focus on getting this updated before I worked on that much SO! Let me know if you're interested in that, I will gladly get started posting that if people wanna see it.


	5. Story 5: Youngjae

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Incredible... Look at me, I did it again. I am... A true menace.  
> Pls forgive me??? College takes up so much time aha haaa  
> But here it is and we are almost done with this fic guys~~ Only two more chapters after this but there will be more! I promise.  
> And like I said last time -- even it takes me a long time to get these chapters posted, I refuse to drop this fic! It's my baby and I like it and I really wanna keep it up.  
> Thank you if so much if you're still with me~ Ily

Getting a new roommate was possibly one of the worst and most nerve wracking experiences Jaebum ever experienced. When his previous roommate moved out he had to do so in a bit of a rush. Not because he had a short amount of time to do so but because Jaebum wanted to kick his ass. While Jackson could afford to live in an apartment with one other person, and even invited Jaebum to join him, med school took up too much money and the elder could live in the dorms free on a scholarship. Jackson had apologized several times as he was carrying his things out but it landed on deaf ears.

So maybe JB had a temper. He had been working on keeping it under control but Jackson’s abandonment erased just about all of his hard earned progress. As much as he’d love to live on his own at this point, even going so far as to try and get permission from his RA and the university, it was inevitable that someone else move in since they only had so much room in the dorms. After another failed meeting with the RA, he returned to his dorm in defeat with the knowledge that he only had a couple more days to himself before the new roommate would be joining him.

Ultimately the concern for this whole situation was forgotten by the time that fateful day came. Jaebum had bigger things to worry about, such as studying for his big physiology exam and attending all his labs so his grades wouldn’t fall. Running low on sleep, patience and not being terribly well fed, he was far from prepared for someone to burst in the door. He always kept it locked so when he looked up to see who he’d been disturbed by he was more confused than he was pissed for all of ten seconds. As the stranger dropped his bags on the floor, the anger flared up higher, tired mind meaning his filter and manners were completely shattered.

“What the fuck? Who are you? What are you doing here?” The elder growled as he got to his feet, rising to his full height which made him nearly tower over the terrified boy in front of him. The height difference wasn’t as big as it had been between himself and Jackson but it was enough for him to easily scare the shit out of this poor kid.

“Th-This is room, uh, 502, r-right? I mean, my key unlocked the⎼ the door so…?” The boy fumbled to hold his keys out for the other to examine, shaking hand making them jingle in the most infuriating way. Jaebum swiped them from his grip to look at them, seeing they matched his own and had his room number etched into them. The meeting from three days ago popped back into his memory and he groaned in exasperation, tossing the keys back to the younger male before collapsing down onto his bed. His new roommate piped up nervously as he watched him try to settle down. “Sorry, did I come at a bad time or…? Were you not expecting me?”

“Any time would’ve been a bad time so it doesn’t make a difference, kid.” Jaebum huffed out, arms draped over his face to block out either the light or the entire world. Whichever was more effective, he supposed. What seemed like a couple minutes passed without any noise so he peeked out to find the other hadn’t moved an inch, just shifting uncomfortably where he stood. “Well? Go on and make yourself comfortable. It’s your room too, I guess.”

The kid ⎼ Youngjae as he came to find out when he finally decided to be civil enough to ask ⎼ nearly jumped and spouted out quick apologies before setting about getting unpacked. Thankfully he was quiet about it, clearly seeing that Jaebum was in a shit mood and thus tiptoeing on eggshells in hopes of avoiding further irritation. When he was settled Jaebum was sleepy and calm enough to engage him in conversation up until the point where he passed out listening to Youngjae.

Before he fell asleep he managed to learn a few things at least. Youngjae was born in ‘95, in the same year as Jaebum. He transferred from another school because he wanted to try something further from home, with home being Mokpo. He had a sister who he was very close with and was already missing quite a bit apparently. He was actually a pretty boisterous kid when he got talking about himself and his family, effectively making Jaebum feel really bad for scaring him like he did. The last thing he caught before he was out cold was Youngjae starting to talk about his major, though he never actually heard what it was.

The first few days of them living together were tense, Jaebum still grumpy about having to have a new roommate and Youngjae being kind of terrified of him. It didn’t help too much that they didn’t exactly see each other that often since they didn’t share any classes and Jaebum often came home in the early hours of the morning from a shift at the hospital. Youngjae was usually passed out at that point and up for class just a few hours after the elder was asleep. Weekends were the only time they really ended up in the room at the same time and Youngjae was always so nervous that he would ramble until he ran out of breath while Jaebum barely listened, stoic and closed off as ever. With this alongside their first meeting, the younger of the pair was becoming increasingly convinced that his roommate hated him.

Unpacking took over a week for Youngjae. He hated the whole process but he also never wanted to bother JB when he was around because that usually meant he was resting. Jaebum couldn’t help but appreciate how conscious the other tried to be of him and yet he noticed there wasn’t much conversation after the initial period of getting to know each other. Was Youngjae still scared of him? Every time he came home when his roommate was there he’d get so quiet and it was a bit distressing. Even with his short temper, he hated being a scary or unapproachable person.

When he was completely over his grouchiness and decided he didn’t mind living with Youngjae, he started to look forward to weekends more. Before he didn’t really care they just meant that he had more time to study before he had to go to work, but now it meant actually seeing his roommate and getting to try and talk to him proper. Talking didn’t happen a whole lot since the other would try to keep his loud voice and excitement in check for Jaebum’s sake, so maybe a lot more time was spent simply watching him go about his business.

There were a few things JB noticed just from observing Youngjae in the small space they shared:

One, Youngjae had an incredible voice. More than once he came home from class to hear Youngjae warming up his voice or practicing a choir piece and he would wait a while outside before entering since he knew his presence would make him stop. Apparently he was studying music and it made sense given his apparent talent. Jaebum liked to sing, sure, and he knew he was good at it, but this kid had a power to his voice that was on another level in a way. He could easily jump notes or octaves and had the most incredible breath control Jaebum had ever seen.

Two, Youngjae loved dogs. Absolutely adored them. He apparently volunteered at a shelter nearby often so he could take care of them and give them the love they deserved. Once Jaebum stopped by the shelter out of curiosity to find the boy treating these dogs like they were his babies and it was possibly one of the most adorable things he’d ever witnessed. It made him sad that the dorms didn’t allow pets since he was sure Youngjae would be overjoyed to have a dog around.

Three, Youngjae was  _ really _ attractive. The first day Jaebum had noticed it had been when he was half asleep in bed and Youngjae had come out of the shower they shared with their suitemates wearing only his towel, apparently having forgotten to take clothes in with him. He seemed to think Jaebum was passed out and thus deemed it safe to creep around the room all damp and showing off his smooth torso. As shameful as it is, the elder watched him. Watched him try to be quiet as he picked out an outfit and unknowingly showed off his body. It made Jaebum have to swallow a little thicker and he at least had the courtesy to actually close his eyes when Youngjae turned away to drop his towel and get dressed.

Needless to say, Jaebum was a bit awkward after that morning.

There was one downside to the weekends and having the two of them actually be in the same place at the same time. The dorms were not large rooms. The university was large enough that they had to conserve space to be able to fit all the students in their housing. As a result, it was a bit hard to have a proper personal space bubble. If they didn’t have one person lounging on their bed while the other went about their business, there was a lot of awkward bumping and brushing and more than once Jaebum has completely left the room with no explanation just so he wouldn’t have to deal with Youngjae accidentally backing his ass into him anymore. Despite how much he was coming to actually appreciate his roommate’s presence, he was also starting to wish he had agreed to move in with Jackson. Even in the small space, he and Jackson hadn’t had this issue that he has with Youngjae now. 

(Or at least being brushed up against and bumped into by Jackson didn’t really have the effect it did with Youngjae, but Jaebum didn’t want to think too hard about that.)

It was becoming a daily struggle not to act weird around his roommate. He hated that it was something he had to put effort into at all really but it was an issue that was becoming increasingly worse the more time they were around each other. The amount of time they were together was increasing as well due to Jaebum trying to casually be around him more. Youngjae was cute and Jaebum was a sucker for someone as sweet as him. He could tell easily when Youngjae stopped being scared of him because he spoke more and spoke louder and sometimes even shouted for no real reason other than because he can. Jaebum liked it way too much and yet he noticed he still never got Youngjae singing while he was in the room. He was more than disappointed by that little fact but he was too chicken to bring it up.

One night, after having been living together for close to three months, Jaebum was trying to get settled for bed after having finished a shift at the hospital. It was somewhere around two in the morning and he was trying hard to navigate in the dark without any lights and stay quiet so as not to wake sleepy Youngjae. Being as exhausted as he was, though, there was a lot of stumbling and cursing under his breath as he got out of his scrubs. Rather than searching blindly for his pajamas, though, he settled for crawling under his covers in just his boxers. A contented groan escaped him as he laid down after having been on his feet for so damn long, feeling like he could pass out right away until he heard sleepy noises from the younger, making him stiffen.

“Mm, Jaebongie-hyung…?” Youngjae slurred from the bed above him, shifting around under his sheets and making all sorts of  cute  noises like he was trying to get settled again. Jaebum felt bad knowing he must have woken him up and sighed softly.

“Yeah I’m home. Go back to sleep, Jae,” He muttered in response as he curled up, hoping to get to sleep soon himself. Still, there was shifting up above him, making Jaebum want to groan and threaten to ground him or something.

“Can’t… Haven’t slept well…” The response came and was barely audible at this point but it concerned Jaebum like the good hyung he was anyways. Before he could say anything or ask what was wrong, what has been keeping Youngjae from sleeping at night, a soft question came. This time he sounded more awake and a lot less confident as he spoke up. “Hyung… Can I sleep with you?”

_ Nope. Bad idea, Jaebum. Don’t say yes. Don’t even think about it. In fact, thinking about it is worse. Do you wanna get all⎼ _

“Uh, sure, Jae. Just… Be careful on the ladder.”

_ Dumbass. _

Soon enough there was more shifting and then he could see a lump making its way down from the top bunk.  _ Did he really bring his blankets with him?  _ Trying to ignore the fond smile that spread over his face, he moved over to make room on the bed and lifted his blankets to invite the other in. The thing is: Jaebum is not a very physical person. He’s never really been one for being touchy or cuddly but… He had a feeling Youngjae was quite the opposite. He also had a feeling that to say “no” to Youngjae would be a sin. As he contemplated the truth of this concept that warm lump of blankets that held a person  _ somewhere _ inside settled in against his side.

Jaebum liked having personal space, but he couldn’t bring himself to mind as Youngjae cuddled up into his side. He was so warm and so soft and all that poked out was a mess of fluffy brown hair that the elder couldn’t resist but slide his fingers through. The action earned a sweet little hum in response and Youngjae was leaning into the touch like a cat and  _ Jesus, _ Jaebum felt like his insides were completely melting.

A muffled little  _ thank you _ came from the younger and that was the last thing he said before he was fast asleep, making Jaebum feel it was safe to put an arm around him and semi-awkwardly pull him just a little closer. He wasn’t a physical person… But Youngjae certainly was. That was enough for him to justify his actions to himself. He spent a moment playing with those dark, tangled locks before joining his roommate in sleeping.

Mornings from then on were mostly the same routine. Waking up feeling almost too warm, remembering that Youngjae was the thing clinging to him so tightly, taking a moment to admire the way the sunlight peeking through the shades highlighted the younger boy’s peaceful face. Over the course of two weeks where every morning went like this, he memorized every detail of his roommate’s face and tried not to think about how weird that was.

(Still, each morning it became more and more difficult to resist the urge to kiss the little mole right under his eye or stroke his cheeks, puffy with sleep, or trace the smile lines that stayed prominent even when his face was relaxed.)

After having woken himself up by staring and ignoring the voice in the back of his head nagging him that he was getting infatuated, he would carefully untangle himself from the other’s hold and usually succeeded in avoiding waking him. This particular time, it was a quiet Sunday morning, getting closer to noon by this point. The night prior, Jaebum had slipped into the dorm quietly only to find Youngjae awake, waiting up for him. This really never happened considering the younger was often quick to at least doze, but it seemed he was quite determined seeing as it was about four in the morning when Jaebum was let off.

Not many words had been exchanged. The two exhausted boys simply curled up together on the bottom bunk as had become customary and quickly drifted off in the comfort of each other’s hold. Having been deep asleep, they hadn’t moved in the night, so Jaebum had to try to carefully get himself out of his friend’s hold. When he thought he’d almost succeeded without waking him, Youngjae let out a sleepy whine and actually tightened his grip, tugging his hyung in closer so he couldn’t get out of the cuddle session. With a sound somewhere between a fond laugh and a tired sigh, Jaebum settled in with him again, going back to admiring the other’s face.

“Morning, Jae. Go back to sleep, you were up late.” He kept his voice soft, fingers idly tracing Youngjae’s spine in an attempt to lull him back asleep. All he got was a sweet little sigh and a face nuzzling into his neck, making his heart stop a moment before it was threatening to leap out of his chest completely. (Straight into Youngjae’s hands, probably.)

“Nn, you sleep… You were⎼” The words were cut off by a drawn out yawn, making Youngjae’s lips brush over Jaebum’s collar and sending a little shiver through him. “You’re the one who was working all night…”

There wasn’t any room to argue really. The point was true and a compelling argument was made simply with the way Youngjae clutched onto his shirt like that would immobilize him. The dumb smile on Jaebum’s face refused to fade as he feigned reluctance but still agreed to stay in bed, listening to the younger’s pleased humming before letting himself slowly start to fall asleep again with him.

(When Jaebum met with Jackson for coffee, both finally having free time to properly catch up, Jackson ever so kindly explained to the elder that he was incredibly whipped by the cute music major. Jaebum kind of hated that he couldn’t properly deny this claim.)

It was around the end of the first semester, when both boys were making their plans for heading home to see their families for the winter break, that one of them finally stepped up to address what they’d both been feeling and practically tiptoeing around. They had long since figured out how to navigate the room in their busy fashion without constantly bumping into each other so they could actually get things done, so they managed to both work on packing for the trip at the same time rather than taking turns so they could have space.

“Jaebongie-yah,” Youngjae started, having sat down on the edge of what had essentially become a bed for them both for a break. He looked up at his hyung, chewing his lip and if anyone but Youngjae had referred to him so casually, he would’ve likely smacked them.

“What is it Youngjae?” He hummed in response, sending him a brief glance before turning his attention back to the duffel of clothes he was packing, glad he had thought to do laundry just a few days prior. Even after responding it was quiet for quite some time, long enough that Jaebum turned to face his roommate properly and noted his clear nervousness. “Jae? Are you alright?”

“F-fine, Hyung! Really!” Youngjae quickly responded, holding his hands out in a sort of placating gesture, but he still didn’t continue with whatever he apparently needed to tell Jaebum. So, the elder stopped packing and moved over to sit beside him on the bed, concern growing a bit.

“What’s going on?” He pressed softly, bumping shoulders with him in hopes of getting him to say whatever seemed to be bothering him. Without looking at him, Youngjae grabbed his own knees to sort of steel himself, shoulders tensing as he took a deep breath before spitting it out.

“Im Jaebum, will you date me?” He asked quickly, words almost slurring together and he quickly hunched his shoulders in a weak attempt to hide. His face was flushed such a pretty shade of pink and he barely peeked over at the older to try and gauge his reaction. Jaebum was still, silent, taking a moment to process whether this was real or not. Once he determined it was, he let his heart go, let it finally burst from his chest like it felt it had been attempting for way too long now, and let it go straight to the boy in front of him.

“Yes. Of course. I’d love to date you, Youngjae-yah.” Jaebum started to laugh as he spoke, a bit too giddy to be able to resist the giggles. He just hoped Youngjae wouldn’t take it the wrong way. However, the younger seemed to understand, seeing as he turned to Jaebum in surprise and let out a loud, excited yell the fell into peals of laughter as he flung himself at his roommate. (Boyfriend? Probably boyfriend now.)

Youngjae, being the considerate and ridiculously sweet kid he was, remembered the ice cream place that Jaebum had pointed out on a walk probably three months ago now and decided that would be the perfect place for their first date. Despite the fact that it was the middle of December. Still, he seemed so excited to take JB there and just the thought that he picked that place was so sweet that it was impossible to say no. (Read: saying no to Youngjae is a sin. Especially when he’s excited.)

They went out only two days before they would be parting ways to go home to their families, walking from their dorm down to the shop. It was a bit of an interesting experience getting dressed for a date in the same room as your date, but it was kind of cute to see Youngjae still trying to pick out something really nice for him. They walked down the street with hands brushing, not actually holding hands since both were a bit too nervous in all honesty. Then they were picking a seat, Jaebum picking his flavor and suggesting one to Youngjae since the latter had never really been there before.

The elder sat to let Youngjae order and pay, watching him be a bit fidgety and fumbling a little with his wallet as he paid. It was cute to see him all nervous like this despite the fact that they spent just about every night snuggling now. Then again, the idea of this being a real date… The idea of them possibly being able to call each other boyfriends? It all made Jaebum’s chest flutter with something warm, so he couldn’t really blame the younger.

“A~, this is what you like, right?” Youngjae smiles that sweet wide smile as he hands Jaebum his ice cream and sits across from him, hiding his nerves behind that bright grin. The older of the pair was fairly quick to dig into his own, watching his new boyfriend (that was okay, wasn’t it?) take a bite of his as well. Noting his expression, he knew that Youngjae was a terrible liar, but he didn’t quite expect something this obvious as the other’s eyes completely contradicted his smile and his words, nodding enthusiastically. “Mm, delicious~! It’s really delicious.”

Before he could stop himself, JB was busting out laughing, covering his mouth so he wouldn’t spray remnants of his last bite of ice cream. Just the amount of effort Youngjae was putting in to make him happy was so sweet in the funniest way. When he got a pout for laughing he just shook his head and reached over to hold his boyfriend’s hand. (Yes, definitely okay. Feels too right to not call him that.)

They didn’t stay long, just long enough for Jaebum to finish his ice cream after he got up a moment to stop into the bathroom, having ended up getting some of the treat on his shirt despite his best attempts. When he returned they were soon heading back to their dorm. They weren’t inside long before Youngjae was whining, demanding he get cuddles from his new boyfriend and Jaebum pretended he didn’t see the way the other was shivering.

As they laid in what was officially deemed  _ their _ bed, bundled up in blankets and watching a movie on Jaebum’s laptop, the older leaned in to sneak a kiss, just lightly pecking his lips, though it was more than enough to completely fluster Youngjae, making him flush and squirm and hide his face. In that moment, Jaebum knew. He was certain that he was in love with Choi Youngjae.

\--

Youngjae honestly wasn’t that big of a fan of ice cream. Well, he loved it, really, but not when it was already freezing enough outside. He didn’t need any help getting cold. However, Jaebum was cute and Jaebum really liked ice cream and when he seemed interested in the proposal for their date spot, Youngjae knew he’d dug himself into a pit. Still, it was for Jaebum. He wanted nothing more than to make him happy.

After having gotten quite the laugh out of his boyfriend when he tried the suggested ice cream, (it really wasn’t that good. Sickly sweet and weirdly thick in the worst way) Jaebum had gone to the bathroom to clean up the bit of ice cream he’d accidentally gotten on himself. Once he was out of sight, Youngjae dropped his act for a moment, smile fading as he found himself much too cold for his taste. He breathed into his hands before trying to run his arms to warm himself, a shiver going through him as he watched the bathroom door.  
Needless to say, he spent almost all of his winter break at home lying around sick with a nasty cold and he could only blame himself for it.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy this!!! I watched the teasers again and thought "why has no one made a fic out of this?"
> 
> Please leave feedback, I'd love to hear what you think or any ideas you have for future chapters!!


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